Process for interlocking seam belt fabrication using adhesive tape with release substrate

Abstract

A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt, wherein the belt has a first end and a second end, each of the first end and the second end with a plurality of mutually mating elements which join in an interlocking relationship to form a seam, and the seam has an adhesive, the process includes providing an adhesive strip on a front side of a release substrate to form an adhesive tape, wherein the release substrate includes polypropylene, vinyls, siloxane containing polymers, acrylates, polyimines, or mixtures thereof; providing the adhesive tape over the seam, wherein the front side of the release substrate containing the adhesive strip is in contact with the seam and mutually mating members; and subjecting the adhesive tape to adhesive bonding, wherein the adhesive strip melts and flows between the mutually mating members of the seam.

1 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt, wherein the belt comprises a first end and a second end, each of the first end and the second end comprising a plurality of mutually mating elements which join in an interlocking relationship to form a seam, and the seam comprising an adhesive, the process comprising: 
 a) providing an adhesive strip on a front side of a release substrate to form an adhesive tape, wherein the release substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene, ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, vinyls, siloxane containing polymers, acrylates, polyimines, and mixtures thereof;    b) providing the adhesive tape over the seam, wherein the front side of the release substrate containing the adhesive strip is in contact with the seam and mutually mating members; and    c) subjecting the adhesive tape to adhesive bonding, wherein the adhesive strip melts and flows between the mutually mating members of the seam.    
     
     
         2 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said release substrate material is selected from the group consisting of polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinyl fluoride, poly(styrene-stat-2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropyl methacrylate), poly(heptafluoroisopropyl acrylate), poly(heptafluoroisopropyl methacrylate), and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         3 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said release substrate has a thickness of from about 1 to about 10 mils.  
     
     
         4 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein said release substrate has a thickness of from about 1 to about 5 mils.  
     
     
         5 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said release substrate has a surface energy of about 28 dynes/cm or less.  
     
     
         6 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein said release substrate has a surface energy of from about 15 to about 28 dynes/cm.  
     
     
         7 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein in a), said adhesive strip is provided on a front side of said release substrate, followed by drying said adhesive strip on said release substrate so as to dry and bond said adhesive strip to said release substrate to form the adhesive tape.  
     
     
         8 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein said drying is accomplished at a temperature of from about 10 to about 75° C.  
     
     
         9 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein said drying is accomplished at a time of from about 1 to about 10 hours.  
     
     
         10 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein in c) said adhesive bonding is accomplished using thermal compression molding or impulse welding.  
     
     
         11 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising after c), d) removing said release substrate from said adhesive strip.  
     
     
         12 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt in accordance with  claim 11 , further comprising after d), e) subjecting said seam to superfinishing.  
     
     
         13 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said adhesive comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyamide, polyvinyl butyral, crosslinkable polyimides, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         14 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein said adhesive is an alcohol-soluble polyamide.  
     
     
         15 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said polyamide has the following general formula:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl having from about 1 to about 20 carbons, alkoxy having from about 1 to about 20 carbons, alkyl alkoxy having from about 1 to about 20 carbons, and alkylene alkoxy having from about 1 to about 20 carbons, and wherein n is a number of from about 50 to about 1,000.  
     
     
         16 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein R is a methylene methoxy group.  
     
     
         17 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said belt is an intermediate transfer belt.  
     
     
         18 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of mutually mating elements are in the form of a puzzle cut pattern.  
     
     
         19 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt in accordance with  claim 18 , wherein said mutually mating elements comprise a first projection and a second receptacle geometrically oriented so that said second receptacle on the first end receives the first projection on the second end and wherein said first projection on said first end is received by said second receptacle on the second end to form a joint between the first and second ends.  
     
     
         20 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt, wherein the belt comprises a first end and a second end, each of the first end and the second end comprising a plurality of mutually mating elements which join in an interlocking relationship to form a seam, wherein said mutually mating elements comprise a first projection and a second receptacle geometrically oriented so that said second receptacle on the first end receives the first projection on the second end and wherein said first projection on said first end is received by said second receptacle on the second end to form a joint between the first and second ends, and the seam comprising an adhesive comprising a polyamide, the process comprising: 
 a) providing an adhesive strip on a front side of a release substrate to form an adhesive tape, wherein the release substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene, ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, vinyls, siloxane containing polymers, acrylates, polyimines, and mixtures thereof;    b) providing the adhesive tape over the seam, wherein the front side of the release substrate containing the adhesive strip is in contact with the seam and mutually mating members; and    c) subjecting the adhesive tape to adhesive bonding, wherein the adhesive strip melts and flows between the mutually mating members of the seam.    
     
     
         21 . A process for adhesive bonding of an endless seamed flexible belt, wherein the belt comprises a first end and a second end, each of the first end and the second end comprising a plurality of mutually mating elements which join in an interlocking relationship to form a seam, and the seam comprising an adhesive comprising a polyamide, the process comprising: 
 a) providing an adhesive strip on a front side of a release substrate to form an adhesive tape, wherein the release substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene, ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, vinyls, siloxane containing polymers, acrylates, polyimines, and mixtures thereof;    b) providing the adhesive tape over the seam, wherein the front side of the release substrate containing the adhesive strip is in contact with the seam and mutually mating members; and    c) subjecting the adhesive tape to adhesive bonding, wherein the adhesive strip melts and flows between the mutually mating members of the seam.